Keir Starmer to make major NHS announcement in conference speech

Starmer to announce major NHS overhaul

According to Starmer, NHS Online is expected to launch in 2027. He promises an "online hospital" that will deliver millions of extra appointments and help reduce long waiting times, as he outlines his vision for a "fairer" Britain, per Sky News.

In his address to the Labour Party conference, Sir Keir Starmer will set out plans for the digital service.

The new platform, set for 2027, will allow patients to access their prescriptions, book scans and tests, receive clinical advice, and manage their appointments through the NHS app.

According to Labour, the initiative will provide up to 8.5 million extra NHS appointments in its first three years. In an effort to reduce delays, it will also permit patients to schedule in-person procedures at local hospitals, surgical hubs, or diagnostic centres, according to Sky News.

Ahead of the PM's address, Health Secretary Wes Streeting said the NHS faces an "existential threat" if it doesn't modernise, and promised Labour would back new technologies to secure its future.

"Our health service and our social care services need to change with the times," Streeting said.

Sir Keir's speech comes at a rather pivotal moment, as he will use his address, set for 2 pm, to revive a divided party and embark on his vision for national renewal.

He will urge voters to unite around a shared sense of "dignity and respect" rather than what he calls "politics of grievance" promoted by Nigel Farage's Reform UK.

Starmer will argue that the country stands at a "fork in the road", facing a choice between "renewal or decline".